Out of the Past
by stellagirl
Summary: Takes place in the trio's 7th year. A new teacher comes to Hogwarts. She's from someone's past. And her future is closely linked to Harry's. Please R&R, my first fic! Rating for later chapters. Not a time turner fic.
1. In which Dumbledore makes a request

Chapter 1

In Which Dumbledore Makes A Request

* * *

It was halfway through the summer holidays and Severus Snape was not happy. He had been enjoying his holiday at the Snape Family Estate in Spain. He didn't particularly like Spain but his mother hated it, so there was privacy, and there was an ideal potions lab. He had been quite content working on his research when the Dark Mark seared into his arm had begun to burn. That had been two days ago. Now he was hurrying to speak with Dumbledore although it was not the easiest task being a spy and being inconspicuous enough not to give away that position to his "fellow" Death Eaters.

When he had returned from the revel that Voldemort had summoned him to, there had been a letter from Dumbledore waiting for him. Dumbledore's ability to know everything that happened seemed to extend outside of Hogwarts. Snape had often wondered if Dumbledore was a seer. Snape couldn't tell from the letter if Dumbledore truly needed to speak to him or if the headmaster was just supplying a convenient reason for Snape to hurry back to Hogwarts.

Snape apparated to Hogsmeade and took his time getting to Hogwarts, stopping first to order potions supplies for the coming term, pick up a book he had ordered at Morold & Sulroth, the bookstore, and down a fire whiskey in The Hog's Head. He was now climbing the stairs to Dumbledore's office. As he approached the door it swung open and Dumbledore invited him in. As he entered he noted that there were no other Order members present.

"Severus," greeted Dumbledore. Snape inclined his head in greeting as he took his preferred seat. "I suppose you are wondering why I asked you to come in."

Snape nodded.

"Remus and Arthur will be here shortly; however I needed to discuss something with you that doesn't concern them." Snape merely grunted. "It concerns a young woman that the Order has decided to take an interest in. They are concerned about where her loyalties lie, but they have no way to find her."

"And this is my concern?" Snape asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Yes Severus, it is your concern, since you know her. Sybil has taken a leave of absence for the year and I would like this young lady to teach Divination," Dumbledore paused as Snape glared at him, "There is also a minor problem with the Defense against the Dark Arts position. It seems that no one is willing to take on the position this year. Minerva and I have worked out a rotating schedule where DADA will be taught by all the professors."

"I still fail to see why this necessitated a private conversation, Headmaster."

"Severus, I know that your research keeps you busy during the holidays, but I was hoping that you would take on the search for this young lady for the Order, I know that you have kept up with her, and you would be by far the least conspicuous member of the Order to contact her."

Snape sighed heavily. "I'll try but I have no idea where to find her as we've not spoken in nearly a year."

Dumbledore just smirked as Remus Lupin and Arthur Weasley stepped through the fireplace. Severus you sly bat thought Dumbledore I know you owl her regularly, and that she sent you a reply just before term ended, and if I didn't know better I'd think you're her secret keeper.

After an exhaustive debriefing, Snape managed a few hours of sleep in his quarters. After he woke he summoned a house-elf and left instructions that his spare room be cleaned and redecorated. Then he set off for London and Diagon Alley dressed in black muggle clothing covered by his usual black robes. After a stop at Gringott's and then the Apothecary to order a few of the more exotic potions ingredients needed for the coming year, he took off his robes, miniaturized them so that they fit into his pocket and stepped out into muggle London. Since it was considered very risky to apparate directly to the airport Snape chose to take the muggle route there, and began the walk to the underground that would take him to Victoria Station where he would catch the train to Gatwick.

Once he arrived at the airport he made his way to the wizarding departure lounge. Few wizards splinched themselves but, having bits of himself on either side of the transatlantic wasn't something he fancied. When he arrived he found that a port-key would leave for Boston in 15 minutes. He spent the next fifteen minutes staring out the window watching the sun set and the muggle airplanes roar by, and wondering what had possessed him to wait the 15 minutes for the port-key to Boston rather than taking the immediate one to Chicago. He finally decided that it was because the "young lady," as Dumbledore had called her, that he was looking for was in fact bound to him with the Fidelius charm, making him her secret keeper. She had modified the charm so that he wouldn't always know where she was but could always find her when he needed to, and so that she could move around freely, traits that had proved to come in quite handy in the intervening nine years.

"8:30 to Boston," rang through the lounge and he snorted, he was, after all the only passenger in the lounge. When he reached the desk the witch handed him a glowing orb and he stepped over to the window to wait. A few seconds later he felt the familiar tug as he was pulled across the Atlantic. When he arrived in Boston, he handed the orb to the witch sitting at the desk and, checking his pockets to insure that he had plenty of cash, he stepped out into the baggage claim area of the airport and set off to find a map of Boston.

Three hours later he had found a map and using a compass enchanted with the "point me" spell, had only been able to determine that she was not at home. His triangulation made the area that she had been in over the three hours to be nearly three square miles. He decided to get dinner and try again later.

Another four hours, and three attempts later he finally had a location. Unfortunately he had no idea if it was a wizarding or muggle building, and either way most of Boston was enchanted against apparition so he would most likely not be able to apparate into it. He was enjoying exploring muggle Boston as well, although he never would have told anyone that. He was attempting to find the nearest Underground station, although he was a bit confused and really had no idea where he was. Finally with a sigh he withdrew into a small alley, cast a Concealment charm around himself and spread his map on the ground.

"Show me," he muttered pointing his wand at the map and immediately a small red spot sprang up on the map.

He was a bit surprised to find that he was in fact only two blocks from the nearest station. He folded the map and stood, dissipating the charm, and began to walk briskly to the station. Twenty minutes later he emerged from the Park Street station and began his walk across the Common to Beacon Street and the brownstone that his locating spells had pinpointed. He walked up the stairs to the door and unlocked it with a quick _Alohomora_. Must be a muggle building, he thought, that shouldn't have worked on a wizarding building. He walked up the small staircase, climbing to the third floor, and stopped.

He had no idea which apartment she lived in, and her name hadn't been on the call panel outside the door. He began to walk down the hall. He passed two doors before hitting a dead end and turned toward the back of the building. When he reached the third door the lock glowed a soft blue, as if inviting him to touch it. He placed his hand on the knob and it sprung open under his touch. He slipped quietly inside, and shut the door, wincing at the loud click it made. It took only a moment for his eyes to adjust to the soft light that came from what appeared to be a muggle television set. He could see a small figure with long dark hair curled up on the couch. She was obviously asleep. He moved to squat in front of her and reached up to touch her cheek with his fingers.

"Severus?" she mumbled and smiled as she opened her eyes.

"WHO ARE YOU AND WHY ARE YOU IN MY HOUSE?" a male voice roared from behind him.

Snape whirled around as he stood up and trained his wand on the man.

"Kira are you ok? He didn't hurt you?" the man asked, never taking his eyes off of Snape. The woman stood up beside and slightly behind Snape.

"Alex," she said taking a deep breath, "I'd like you to meet Severus Snape. Severus meet Alexius Greer, one of my roommates." Snape seemed satisfied and lowered his wand stowing it in his pocket.

"How do I know he's who you say? How do I now you're not under the Imperius?" queried Alex, nervously fingering his own wand.

"Honestly Alex, grow up," she said rolling her eyes, "One, I didn't let him in, the ward is keyed only to the real Severus Snape, you cast it yourself, and two, you are being an insufferable git. Goodnight." She finished as she walked across the room to what appeared to be her door.

Alex lowered his wand still a bit anxious.

"Severus, are you coming to bed?" Kira called as she disappeared through the door.

Snape turned to follow her as Alex reluctantly went back up the stairs to his own room. Snape walked through the door into a pleasantly lit space that was furnished in the same style as his own quarters, semi-traditional minimalist, with drawers and a closet set into the wall, a low bed and a door that appeared to lead to a small bathroom.

Snape colored slightly as he saw that Kira was changing, and he headed to the bathroom to transfigure his clothes into something suitable to sleep in and his robes into a blanket.

"Severus, your things are in the bottom drawer, they should still fit" Kira said noticing his hasty retreat.

He swiftly altered course and opened the drawer to find a pair of black plaid cotton drawstring pants and a black t-shirt. He continued on into the bathroom and changed.

From outside Kira said "And Severus don't even think about being a gentleman and sleeping on the couch, the bed is plenty big, and the couch really isn't even long enough for me."

"I don't really think that is appropriate Kira, the couch will do nicely and I can make it longer, I am a wizard" he replied.

"Yes, well you are a wizard, as is my roommate, but somehow I think that his girlfriend wouldn't appreciate waking up and finding a very tall, very grumpy wizard on a couch that is 'magically' larger than the one that was there when she went to sleep."

"Ah," he said poking his head out of the bathroom, "Muggle?"

"Yes," and before he could open his mouth to ask his next question, "and yes, in the cupboard above the sink, the blue one."

He turned back to brush his teeth wishing that even when she could tell what he wanted she would let him ask. Then he slipped out into the dark room, noticing that she was already asleep. He slipped in next to her and wound his arm around her waist pulling her close.

"G'night Kira," he mumbled into her hair.

* * *

Hooray! Thanks for reading. Now please review. I plan to update as often as possible but since I'm a college student that might not be very often. And everyone make sure you thank my blonde Swedish muse without whom this story would never have gotten on paper…so to speak.


	2. In Which We Learn a Few Things About Sev...

                                                         Chapter 2

                               In Which We Learn a Few Things about Severus and Kira

                                             Originally posted 2/23/04

When he woke Severus knew something was amiss. After a moment he dismissed it thinking it was his normal wish that Kira was there beside him. Without opening his eyes he could tell it was still dark, so he rolled over to go back to sleep. 

He heard a soft snort from behind him then "Severus Snape are you planning on getting up today." He rolled back over and opened his eyes to see Kira leaning on the door jam, sunlight streaming in from behind her. It was then that he realized the room was so dark because it had no windows. 

He smiled and said, "it seems a compromise is in order since you are out of bed and I am in it." 

"Indeed" she answered, matching his tone "however since I live here and have quite a bit to do before we can leave for Hogwarts it seems that it will have to be my way. Tea or Coffee?" she inquired. 

"Tea" he answered. She turned to go to the kitchen "but only…" 

"…only if it's brewed properly" she cut him off, not bothering to turn around. He flopped back onto the pillows and sighed. He couldn't believe that she would finally be living at Hogwarts with him, then it occurred to him that he hadn't given her Dumbledore's letter. *How had she known?* He climbed out of bed and walked into the kitchen. 

Alex was sitting at the small table reading a muggle paper, Kira and another woman were standing at the small stove cooking, he was thankful that it seemed no one had yet bothered to get dressed. He stepped up behind Kira, and laced one arm around her waist so she couldn't squirm away. Kira relaxed into his embrace, and he lowered his mouth so he was whispering into her ear. 

"Your hair's grown" he commented in his most silky voice. 

"Yes it tends to do that," she retorted, with a hint of laughter. He wrapped his arm a little tighter around her waist so that his fingers were touching a few strands of the soft wavy dark brown locks that fell well past her waist, scooped up some pancake batter from the bowl on the counter and without any prelude smeared the pancake batter down her nose and across both her cheeks. 

She just giggled. "Severus, this is Maggie" she said nodding toward the other woman. He turned and nodded; Maggie smiled in return and gave Kira a wink. "Tea and The Prophet are on the table, and the pancakes should be ready momentarily. No thanks to you." 

"Your words wound me, Madam," he replied as he relinquished his hold on her and moved to the table feigning hurt. She replied by sticking out her tongue and rolling her eyes.

                                               ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After breakfast Kira and Severus returned to her room where he gave her Dumbledore's letter. "Thank you. I don't know why Dumbledore had you bring it though." Severus quirked his eyebrow at her. "The charm," she said in response to his unasked question, "He owled me last week and I couldn't answer but I'm sure he knew I would take the position, after all it means I could be around people who have a clue what it is that's going on. The Americans simply have no idea how dangerous He is and it's difficult to be so far removed from events that affect so you directly." 

"Yes," he agreed, "but being at Hogwarts doesn't mean that you'll be involved at all, you know." 

"At least I won't have to wait on letters to tell me what's happening, not that I have any reservations about your ability to keep me informed of the news." She added noting his hurt look. "You have done an admirable job since… well since it became necessary," she finished quickly. "It seems that the time has come for a better option and even if I hadn't been offered the position at Hogwarts I would be going back to Britain." 

"Why," he asked, interrupting her soliloquy. 

She looked at him and adopting the very lofty airy voice that Trelawney favored said, "The time has come for the forces of light to unite." They both collapsed into a heap of laughter. "Seriously it's home, I miss it and it's time I stopped running away from my problems and faced them." 

"Glad to hear it," he said. 

"There, all finished," she said. It was then he realized that she had managed to pack the entire contents of her drawers and closet into a relatively small trunk and miniaturize the trunk so that it was about the size of a small music box while they were talking. 

He looked at the clock, "Good grief woman, you do realize it is only half ten, you really want to wait until tomorrow to leave" 

"Yes Severus I do realize that it is half ten and as I said before I have quite a bit to do before we can leave, besides the American Ministry will be up in arms if I leave without giving Alex a chance to notify them." He looked at her quizzically. "He's an Auror, and he's 'keeping an eye on me' for the British Ministry." 

"You're that dangerous?" 

"Apparently," she said, with a wide grin. 

"Well, what do you have planned for us today?" 

"Just a few minor things, a meeting at the university, and a game this afternoon." Snape perked up at the mention of a game. 

"What kind of game?" he queried. 

"Oh, just a league game our last one for the season." 

"Something of an off season is it not?" 

"I suppose, although it is nice to have a season that doesn't require starting in February and being done before the summer league starts, since none of us play summer league. We're playing a muggle team today so it should be interesting." 

"I take it that your team is all magical then." 

"Right in one." 

"Where's the game." 

"On the Common this afternoon, at half three." 

"And until then what are we doing?" 

"I have a meeting at the university, and I thought you might enjoy perusing the library. It's not much by European standards but there are a few Native and South American manuscripts that might interest you. I recall seeing an interesting one on a rather obscure tribe in the Andes that was almost entirely magical, they averaged one or two squibs every century, and had some rather remarkable ways of integrating the squibs fully into their culture and society." 

"Fascinating, I will certainly look it up." 

"Good. I'm going to change, if you want a shower there are towels in the bathroom, and I can see about charming your clothes clean while you're in there." 

"Thank you," he replied as he stepped into the bathroom and closed the door. Kira changed into her shorts and game jersey. 

*Bugger* she thought *Severus really must be stressed if he's still in the shower. Where are my bloody cleats?* After a few frantic moments she found one under the sofa in the outer room, she also found her wand next to it and remembered that she had to charm Severus's clothes. She scurried back into the bedroom and with a wave his clothes were clean and wrinkle free, another wave and they folded themselves, a flick and they banished themselves into the bathroom settling on the counter just as he turned the shower off. 

Looking at the clock she realized that if she didn't have both her cleats in hand soon she would be late for her meeting. She glanced around the apartment and whispered "Accio cleats!" She was quite relieved when both her cleats came flying toward her and smoothly switched to a banishing charm landing the shoes neatly in her gym bag. She swiftly pulled her hair up into two braids and twisted them up so she had two buns on the back of her head, pulled on her sneakers, and checked to be certain that she had her disc. 

*Still as fussy over his appearance as ever,* she thought, smiling at the fact that Snape was still in the bathroom and went to the kitchen to fill up her water bottle. When she returned she was pleased to see that, in deference to the late July weather, Severus had pulled his hair back with a tie and transfigured his clothes into a pair of plain but slightly worn blue jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt that suited him nicely. 

"Do I pass muster," he asked with a twinge of what someone who didn't know him as well would have thought was malice. Kira, on the other hand, knew that he was anxious to pass for a muggle, after all a Deatheater, ex or otherwise, willingly out among muggles was in a precarious position. 

"With flying colors," she stated trying not to crack a smile at the thought of her Severus, *goodness girl get a hold of yourself, he doesn't belong to you anymore than you do to him, still* she told herself, *he is undeniably yours so call him whatever you please in your mind.* looking undeniably uncomfortable about something. 

"Em…." He began, "You're not really planning on wearing that are you?" he asked her his browed furrowed with concern. 

"Why n…" she trailed off as she realized, *of course it has no sleeves.* She turned her left arm over so that he could see it clearly, "I'm not a Potions Mistress for nothing you know." 

"How did you…" he stammered, staring at her arm. "A simple concealing balm strengthened with a chameleon charm. My thesis project." She smiled. 

He gaped at her, then composed himself, "I always knew something good would come out of the American universities, and it seems that it has finally happened." The clock began to strike 11:00 and Kira jumped. 

"Oh no, I'm late!" she yelped. She grabbed her bag with one hand and Severus with the other. "We'll have to floo over," she said as she dragged him to the hearth. Kira grabbed a handful of floo powder, through it into the fireplace, said, "Arithmancy professor's lounge Harvard," and dragged Severus into the green flames. 

They landed in a room that had a table, a few chairs, and many doors leading off it. Kira crossed the room to one of the doors and it sprung open at her touch. 'This is my office, I believe there's a map of the campus, both parts of it, on the table by the other door I should be done in a couple of hours. If you're not here I'll look for you in the library," she said in a rush as she dropped her bag and headed out the door they had entered through, closing it behind herself. Snape stared after her for a moment trying to reestablish the bond they had had. 

With a sigh he admitted that she was likely completely absorbed in this meeting and he wandered over toward the other door, pausing to scoop up a map and place it in his pocket as he set out to explore the campus, and have a look at that manuscript she had mentioned.

He found the library in rather short order and was seated with the manuscript in question at fifteen minutes past eleven in the morning. After reading the first page he got up to borrow a quill and some parchment to take notes. Unbeknownst to most people his pet project was reading everything he could get his hands on about how isolated cultures dealt with squibs, since for most of them sending the squib out into the muggle world simply wasn't possible. Having a sister born a squib and watching her tortured, raped and finally, as he had come to see it mercifully, killed at the hands of the man who sought to rid the wizarding world of all but the purest bloodlines tended to give one a curiosity about these things he thought and bent to his reading. 

This manuscript was one he had never heard of before and was thus even more intriguing. It was in this position that Kira found him a full three hours later when she was finally released from her meeting. She stood observing him for a moment as he finished the manuscript, seeing the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth she was glad she'd talked to the librarian earlier about letting him read over it. "Severus I don't see how you can spend so much time hunched over like that with out hurting your back." 

"I do not 'hunch,' I tower." 

"Right," she replied skeptically, "Do you want lunch?" 

"Certainly," he said gathering the parchment and quill up to return to the circulation desk as she picked up the manuscript to return it to the restricted stacks where it normally resided.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ A few minutes later they were seated outside Faneuil Hall eating a light lunch from one of the vendors, and discussing her thesis. "It's a very simple potion really, I was surprised my advisor allowed it to count as a thesis project. I used the same potion that is used to dye an invisibility cloak." At this Severus nearly choked, that potion was an extremely complicated potion, one that not many Masters bothered to learn, never mind becoming familiar enough to base a thesis on it. 

"The biggest problem was modifying the base so that it would stick to skin, hold the charm, and last long enough to be useful. Once I figured that out it was very simple." 

"How did you manage to lengthen the life time of the base?" 

"Muggle herbal medicine," she smirked. "I used a combination of henna, jewel weed, and black alder with natural tannic acid as a mordant. The henna also helped to thicken the base into more of a paste. When the final potion is finished it is a bit more of a thick cream that would run but a nyedvijeyeniye spell fixed that and only reduced the effective life of the potion by half an hour." 

"Which one did you use," he asked, turning her arm over to inspect the area more closely. 

"I tried several that had some effect but the zamorajennaya tyeplo worked the best," she said as he ran his fingers over the seemingly unmarked skin. 

"Really," he inquired "I never would have thought of using those spells, we stick mostly to the Latin derived ones in Britain you know." 

"The advantages of having not studied in Britain." 

"You really believe that?" 

"Severus, I wouldn't be half as capable right now if I had been coddled by my father, gone to Hogwarts and then to an English College. One of the few upsides to my bloodlines. I'd hate to think what that bloody sorting hat would have done with me." 

"Probably tried to eat itself," he replied with a straight face, before cracking a smile. "I believe you would have followed your mother in to Ravenclaw, personally. You simply aren't devious enough for Slytherin. Most descendents go into their house any way." 

"Most," she said with a snort, "that's what I was most afraid of, disappointing my mother by not being smart enough, or worse yet disappointing my…," here she hesitated, "him," she finished. "You know I could have been the first not to be sorted into Ravenclaw." 

"I highly doubt that you wouldn't have been sorted there, you know 'that bloody hat' wanted to put me in Ravenclaw. Things would have turned out far differently if it had. I wouldn't have worshipped Lucius and he and my father couldn't have bullied me into following the Dark Lord." 

"Severus," she said reaching up to turn his face towards her. "I for one am very glad you followed the Dark Lord no matter how it came about. Things could have been very different for me if you hadn't." Suddenly he gathered her into a tight embrace and whispered the words that would ring in her head the rest of the day. 

"So am I." They finished eating in silence and then walked to the Common. Snape was glad for the opportunity to toss a disc with Kira while they waited for the rest of the team. In college he had had some interest in the wizarding version of Ultimate Frisbee after being injured badly playing Quiddich. After he and Kira met he had taken a genuine interest in the muggle version that her hippie mother had taught her. 

When the game began he was content to sit on the side lines and watch the simple flow of the game. He had to admit that Kira had always been a good player, learning without the aid of the charms that were used in the wizarding version had firmly grounded her playing in the fundamentals, and it was obvious that she had continued to train and play in the years since he had last seen her play.

The final of the game was close with the final score 13-10 in favor of Kira's team the Demented Ultimate Freaks, their jersey's bore what to a muggle would appear the be the Grim Reaper, but of course was a Dementor. After the Game Severus and Kira headed back to her apartment to meet Alex and Maggie for dinner and a movie.

Pretty Please review, I'm starting to think no one likes my story. Yeah, second chapter. This took much longer to write than I thought but with Spring Break next week I'm hoping to have another chapter in two weeks. I'll give a shout out to the first person who spots the reference to FSU. Except you MK, I know you see it.


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